Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Kansas City, MO

For one person, living is cheaper in Kansas City, MO: $2,442 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $30,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Kansas City, MO
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Kansas City, MO Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Kansas City, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,442

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Kansas City, MO

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in New York, NY and in Kansas City, MO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $2,442 in Kansas City, MO, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
Kansas City, MO $2,442

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $3,599 in Kansas City, MO, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
Kansas City, MO $3,599

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $4,756 in Kansas City, MO, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
Kansas City, MO $4,756

New York, NY costs about 102% more than Kansas City, MO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Kansas City, MO sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Kansas City, MO by 79%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$25.16 $25.16

13.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$80.5 $80.5

47.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$12.48 $12.48

20.51%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.98 $5.98

9.20%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 $3.96

$3.19 $3.19

24.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.46 $2.46

22.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$6.96 $6.96

17.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$7.61 $7.61

29.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.16 $1.16

18.10%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.37 $3.37

47.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$5.16 $5.16

51.36%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$4.21 $4.21

41.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$14.38 $14.38

31.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$9.82 $9.82

83.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$13.71 $13.71

38.95%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$4.49 $4.49

50.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.62 $1.62

40.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$4.43 $4.43

54.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$5.52 $5.52

28.44%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$3.21 $3.21

31.46%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$3.31 $3.31

40.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.28 $2.28

25.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.10 $2.10

23.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$7.93 $7.93

136.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$15.03 $15.03

33.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.93 $1.93

78.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.95 $3.95

1.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.48 $2.48

24.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.21 $1.21

75.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$59.7 $59.7

-29.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.99 $0.99

18.18%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.5K $34.5K

$34.4K $34.4K

0.32%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.2K $26.2K

-1.22%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$219 $219

$199 $199

10.51%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$74.2 $74.2

$66.6 $66.6

11.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$72.5 $72.5

-3.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$44.00 $44.00

154.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

$32.05 $32.05

133.57%

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$15.17 $15.17

45.95%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$3,558 $3,558

$1,136 $1,136

213.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$21.0K $21.0K

195.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$61.7 $61.7

22.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$43.49 $43.49

17.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$103 $103

19.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$147 $147

-4.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$1,250 $1,250

259.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,087 $1,087

183.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$2,468 $2,468

282.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$1,724 $1,724

201.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$2,584 $2,584

600.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$1,837 $1,837

264.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$3,939 $3,939

32.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.56

4.57%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for New York, NY: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kansas City, MO: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Kansas City, MO

$1.1K 44.5% 64.7% $2K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Kansas City, MO

$392 16.1% 30.4% $171

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Kansas City, MO

$383 15.7% 13% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Kansas City, MO

$338 13.8% 7.2% $26

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Kansas City, MO

$160 6.6% 8.8% $15

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Kansas City, MO

$8.5 * 0.4% 94.8% $156

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Kansas City, MO

$74 3% 52.4% $82

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $1,250 in Kansas City, MO. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 33% higher in New York, NY, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in New York, NY versus $81 in Kansas City, MO. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $392 – making Kansas City, MO the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Kansas City, MO

🕒 Local time

00:42 12:42 AM

23:42 11:42 PM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

463,202

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

New York, NY Kansas City, MO 1,740 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Kansas City, MO

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

New York, NY vs Kansas City, MO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $4,941 in New York, NY, $2,442 in Kansas City, MO – Kansas City, MO comes out roughly 51% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,412 per month in New York, NY and $3,664 in Kansas City, MO. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kansas City, MO, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,250 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,941 in New York, NY and $2,442 in Kansas City, MO. That makes Kansas City, MO about 51% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $3,558 per month in New York, NY and $1,136 in Kansas City, MO. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Kansas City, MO, where all-in costs run around $2,442, than in New York, NY at $4,941. In Kansas City, MO it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. New York, NY has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,442 in Kansas City, MO to $4,941 in New York, NY. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Kansas City, MO. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.